triggerfish

American

[trig-er-fish] / ˈtrɪg ərˌfɪʃ /

noun

plural

triggerfish,

plural

triggerfishes

any of various compressed, deep-bodied fishes of the genus Balistes and allied genera, chiefly inhabiting tropical seas, having an anterior dorsal fin with three stout spines: some are edible while others are poisonous.

triggerfish British

/ ˈtrɪɡəˌfɪʃ /

noun

any plectognath fish of the family Balistidae , of tropical and temperate seas. They have a compressed body with erectile spines in the first dorsal fin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of triggerfish

First recorded in 1880–85; trigger + fish

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Expedition divers observed an unusually large school of exotically-colored triggerfish in eastern Cuba, and a kaleidoscope of vibrant corals along the ocean floor near the densely-developed tourist destination of Varadero.

From Reuters • Sep. 1, 2023

Rhyne’s research lab — which includes breeding toothy queen triggerfish and red-striped yasha gobies— has been working to share his research with breeders as well.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 19, 2022

The catch of the day, grilled triggerfish and barracuda, was worth the wait here.

From Washington Post • Sep. 9, 2022

Eventually, it was determined the animal was likely a triggerfish.

From Fox News • Aug. 5, 2021

Then smaller fish appeared: miscellaneous triggerfish, leather jacks, unicornfish, and a hundred others that left stripes on this luminous atmosphere in their course.

From Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Walter, F. P.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023